Hello,

Looks like court records would be your answer here. I checked the 1850 census and did not see her as a free black person in the census. She was freed by 1860, so there may be some documentation in the local courthouse that may show how and when she was freed and who she was freed by.

In 1850, she would have been about 15 years old so I checked the slave schedule for 1850 for all Rapp's>>

22 Male Black William E Rapp Franklin, Louisiana
16 Female Black William E Rapp Franklin, Louisiana
30 Female Black Elizabeth Rapp Orleans, Louisiana
30 Male Black Elizabeth Rapp Orleans, Louisiana
25 Female Black Elizabeth Rapp Orleans, Louisiana
3 Female Black Elizabeth Rapp Orleans, Louisiana
40 Female Black Aglai Rapp Orleans, Louisiana
9 Male Mulatto Aglai Rapp Orleans, Louisiana
58 Female Black Estelle Rapp Orleans, Louisiana
21 Female Black Geo W Rapp Plaquemines, Louisiana

As you can see, the only person who as female slave matching your Clara is William E Rapp of Fraklin County. I checked the Louisiana County map and Franklin County is not anywhere close to Orleans County which was where Clara was in 1860. Also, according to the census reocords, this William Rapp was born in Virginia. This differs from the white Rapp's of Orleans County. All of the Orleans County Rapp's or either born in Germany or Louisiana.

Now in 1860 this William E Rapp of Frankin now owns 24 slaves but guess what? There are no other Rapp's listed as owning slaves in 1860! So what that tells me is that all of the Rapp's of Orleans County either sold their slaves or freed them before 1860. So, there must be some type of record in the courthouse that states what happened to the Rapp slaves of Orleans County. Unless, she was never a slave which could also be a possiblity, nevertheless you should find something in county records.

Hopes this helps,

Tony